Apple Time Capsule 2TB ME177LL/A [NEWEST VERSION] Reviews

2TB hard drive that works with Time Machine in OS X to create a no-hassle backup solution

Also a full-featured Wi-Fi base station with the latest 802.11ac technology

New higher design which helps disperse your Wi-Fi signal

6.6-inch height; 3.85-inch square base

Easy setup for iOS and OS X

Time Capsule – 2TB – 2013Back up a lifetime’s worth of memories with AirPort Time Capsule, a wireless hard drive that works seamlessly with Time Machine in OS X. It’s also a full-featured Wi-Fi base station with the latest 802.11ac technology and simultaneous dual-band support.Automatic wireless backup.AirPort Time Capsule includes a 2TB hard drive that works with Time Machine in OS X to create the perfect no-hassle backup solution.1 There are no cables, and you can back up all the Mac computers in your home to a central location – automatically, wirelessly, and in the background. Ultrafast 802.11ac Wi-Fi.With 802.11ac technology and a powerful beamforming antenna array, AirPort Time Capsule gives you up to 3x faster Wi-Fi and a stronger, clearer signal.2 And because it transmits at both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies at the same time, your wireless devices will automatically connect to the best available band for the fastest performance possible. Designed with performance

I purchased the new 2TB Time Capsule the first day it arrived in the Apple stores. Set up was quite easy, even though I had existing routers on my network. The airport utility on my Mac instantly found the time capsule and proceeded to set it up. The first backup took most of the night to complete. I previously used a USB2 Hard drive to do my backups, and I knew that backing up over a network would be slower than a USB device, but I was surprised by how slow it was. Incremental backups seem to take about 10 minutes, where my USB drive was typically less than a minute. It seems to take some time to find the hard drive on the network, and then prepare the backup for download to the TC. However, I no longer have to keep my USB drive plugged in, and remember to properly dismount it each time I take my Mac on the road, so all in all I’m happy to live with the trade off of slower backups against the benefit of never having to remember to connect/disconnect my hard drive to accomplish a backup.

Overall I’m very pleased and would recommend the TC for anyone who wants a simple set and forget backup solution. It also seems to function quite well as an access point, with a very strong signal even when I’m on the third floor of my house and the TC is on the first floor.

Anyone that has a hard drive fail will tell you how incredibly important it is to back up your computer. I had this happen to me a few years ago and was devastated at the files I lost, especially the photos I had been storing on my computer. Ever since that day I have tried my best to back everything up. The problem, however, is actually making the effort to back up the files. To say the least, it can get tedious and if you slip up, it’s easy to get out of the habit.

Apple has fixed this problem with their Time Capsule. I’ve been waiting for the new version and picked one up the day it came out. This version is taller than their older model, and hardly takes up any desk space. We have ours in the office and this thing is unobtrusive.

Set up is a breeze. I plugged this straight into my cable modem. The set up software on the Mac takes you step-by-step through the process of setting up the Wi-Fi signal and also configuring the Time Machine software to begin automatically backing up your computer’s hard drive. The first back up will take a long time, but after that the software will update the backup on the Time Capsule in just a few minutes, all automatically and in the background. The other nice thing is that it’s possible to set up the Time Capsule to back up two different computers. I did this with my own and my wife’s MacBook Pros, the setup couldn’t be easier.

So far, I couldn’t be happier with the set up. The Wi-Fi signal is strong and has handled two computers, an iPad, and a Tivo all at the same time with no hiccups. Unlike our previous router, I haven’t found any dead spots in our house yet. Luckily, I haven’t had to use the back-up function, but I feel much more at ease knowing it is there and will stay current no matter how lazy I get.

There are three gigabit internet connections on the back for plugging in devices directly. We have an AppleTV plugged in and the wired connection results in much better streaming that over Wi-Fi. We also plugged our older printer into the USB slot to enable wireless printing. Now any computer can wirelessly print to one printer without having to upgrade to a newer printer with built-in wireless connectivity.

Like everything else they do, Apple excels are creating well-honed systems that run simply and flawlessly. With the Time Capsule, they’ve taken away the hassle of backups forever. I think every Apple user should get a Time Capsule. If you don’t back up, I can promise one day you will regret it. Save yourself the nightmare and get a Time Capsule!

This is a very well-designed Wi-Fi router and backup device that is extremely easy to set up and to configure both on Macs and Windows. Via the included app, it basically sets itself up automatically after you input your desired Wi-Fi network name and password. There are of course also advanced options which you may set manually if you desire to.

This Time Capsule performs better than the prior version, even without 801.11ac devices in the network. With 802.11ac devices, it will be even faster.

This contains more antennas inside the device than prior versions and also incorporates beamforming for faster wifi. The antennas sit higher and off the table top in the device which aids performance as well. When using my wifi network, things are noticeably more speedy than before.

The design and foot print is also an improvement. It takes up less space on your desk or shelf since it has a smaller footprint, even though it’s taller. And, I like the look of it better than prior versions as well.

I also really like the fact that the built in hard drive can backup more than one computer on the Wi-Fi network, and it does this wirelessly (or wired). Now all the computers in my household can always be backed up with ease!

Something to note is the AirPort Extreme can backup wirelessly to an external hard drive plugged in to it and also print to a USB printer as well if you use a USB hub. In other words, you may prefer to get the Airport Extreme instead if you already have an external hard drive. This may save you some money.

A note about the product box: be careful opening the box, if you have it at an angle while pulling the lid off, the device will fall out and could be damaged. Also, after unboxing it, you cannot replace the base of the box because it will get stuck inside the box and be very difficult to remove after that. I recommend you put the base in sideways if you want to store the box. You will see what I mean after you get this item.

In summary, Apple has another winner in this latest version of the Time Capsule! This is a worthy upgrade from prior versions, even if you don’t yet have any 802.11ac devices since it also works with 802.11a/b/g and n devices, and you will be ready for any future 802.11ac device that you may get, which is the new standard.